Igniting Flames
by NowPanicAndFreakOut
Summary: Peeta and Katniss's love story on the Victory Tour succeeds in calming the districts. However, it is still the third Quarter Quell; the districts have been told that this year's arena will be "very special"... Rating may change.
1. Prologue

**AN: This is my own version of Catching Fire, which I know is a completely original concept... Hopefully it'll be alright anyway.**

**Disclaimer: Although I would like to be, I am not Suzanne Collins and so I don't own The Hunger Games or anything to do with it, including all but one sentence of this prologue. *le sigh***

"By the time we reach the Capitol, we are desperate. We make endless appearances to adoring crowds. There is no danger of an uprising here among the privileged, among those whose names are never placed in the reaping balls, whose children never die for the supposed crimes committed generations ago. We don't need to convince anybody in the Capitol of our love but hold to the slim hope that we can still reach some of those we failed to convince in the districts. Whatever we do seems too little, too late.  
Back in our old quarters in the Training Center, I'm the one who suggests the public marriage proposal. Peeta agrees to do it but then disappears to his room for a long time. Haymitch tells me to leave him alone.  
"I thought he wanted it, anyway," I say.  
"Not like this," Haymitch says. "He wanted it to be real."  
I go back to my room and lie under the covers, trying not to think of Gale and thinking of nothing else.  
That night, on the stage before the Training Center, we bubble our way through a list of questions. Caesar Flickerman, in his twinkling midnight blue suit, his hair, eyelids, and lips still dyed powder blue, flawlessly guides us through the interview. When he asks us about the future, Peeta gets down on one knee, pours out his heart, and begs me to marry him. I, of course, accept. Caesar is beside himself, the Capitol audience is hysterical, shots of crowds around Panem show a country besotted with happiness.  
President Snow himself makes a surprise visit to congratulate us. He clasps Peeta's hand and gives him an approving slap on the shoulder. He embraces me, enfolding me in the smell of blood ad roses, and plants a puffy kiss on my cheek. When he pulls back, his fingers digging into my arms, his face smiling into mine, I dare to raise my eyebrows. They ask what my lips can't. _Did I do it? Was it enough? Was giving everything over to you, keeping up the game, promising to marry Peeta enough?_"

In reply, he gives a tiny nod of his head.


	2. Chapter One

We did it. We actually did it. Peeta, me, our families, our friends- they're all safe, because _we did it. _My knees almost buckle beneath me and I can't stop happy tears filling my eyes. I feel Peeta come and put his arm back around my waist to give me a reassuring squeeze; he has seen my tears and assumed the worst. I turn my head up to his and as soon as he sees my genuine smile, he gets it. His fake smile becomes real, as mine did just moments ago, and he puts his other arm around me and whispers in my ear, "Are you sure? Really sure?" The doubtful hope in his voice makes me giggle- a girlish thing that I haven't done in years. "Yes, really sure," I whisper back. "We did it!" I actually jump a little in celebration before remembering that we are still in the public eye, so I reach to pull him down for a kiss instead. Peeta is taken aback at first, but soon returns the kiss with such enthusiasm that we only break apart when, minutes later, Caesar Flickerman comes along to congratulate us yet again. Peeta says a few brief words of thanks before Effie appears between us and whisks us from the stage.  
"That was amazing!" She exclaims as she totters down the hallway in her ridiculous orange shoes. "Utterly brilliant! Oh, it was the most romantic thing I've seen in all my life- that includes my sister's wedding, and her lizard theme was beautiful. Hang on, I may have a picture of her dress..." She slows slightly to start digging around in her purse and I catch Peeta's now-unblocked gaze before rolling my eyes. He grins and starts to close the short distance between us but suddenly Effie is back, filling the gap and mumbling to herself about fairy lights. She seems to shake her head of the thought and turns to me again, still shepherding us forward. "So, let me see the ring!" Her eyes sparkle almost as much as the diamond I display on my finger. "Oh, Katniss... It's lovely." It's the most genuine response I've ever heard from Effie and I tear my gaze away from my ring to look at her face. Her smile has crumpled slightly and her eyes have a melancholy glaze to them that makes my chest ache in sympathy. I wore that lonely look for many months after my father died, and my mother wore it for far longer. I find myself wanting to comfort her, but am unfortunately as awkward as I've always been and so can't find the words. We walk on in silence, Peeta studying the many paintings adorning the walls of the never-ending corridor, Effie still trying to glimpse my ring as my left arm comes forward and me trying desperately not to look at her face again for fear of my happy mood vanishing. It's easy to keep it there though- one thought of Prim being safe at last and the smile returns to my face. We finally get to the end of the hall where Haymitch and our prep teams await us. They all congratulate us before Venia, Flavius and Octavia lead me one way and Peeta's equally outrageous-looking prep team (along with Haymitch) leads him through a doorway and out of sight.  
"Why are we being re-made-up?" I ask Effie, who seems to be following me like a labrador.  
"For the crowds at the train station. There are sure to be many people awaiting you two, especially now that you're engaged!" Her happiness seems to have returned and she has stopped glancing at my ring, so I give her a smile as we follow my prep team into a large room.  
"Right, hair first!" Flavius says excitedly as he sits me down in front of a trio of mirrors. "God, I can't wait to create your wedding 'do!" They all squeal and I have to stop myself from grimacing. While I may have saved my family, I now have to put up with this wherever I go. At least I know that when I get home, I'll find some normality in Gale.  
Gale.  
Gale, who all-but announced his love for me in the woods that day. Gale, who would have been watching that live interview with Peeta and I. Gale, who just saw me getting engaged to another man and then kissing him senseless. Shit. My face falls completely for the first time since Snow's nod and all I can do as my prep team fuss over me is wonder if he'll ever forgive me.

When my prep team is finally done with me- I now wear an understated red jersey dress which my team exclaims is "very cute" and my hair is in a plaited updo- I have decided to take my ring off on the train so that when I meet with Gale at the District 12 train station it won't be flashing in his face. Effie bursts my planned-out bubble with a, "You look so lovely! Here, use this-" She hands me a small silver-ish cloth. "- to polish your ring. It'll need to be gleaming for the crowds." I buff it slightly, thinking it bright enough as it is, and go to give it back to her. "No-no-no-no-no! Keep it, please! You'll need it again before the cameras in District 12." Drat. I can't take it off after all. It looks like Gale will just have to deal with it and I'll try to hide it as much as I can. Venia guides me to my shoes (thankfully just flat black pumps) and then leads me out of the room, back into the never-ending hallway. This time we veer to the left at the end and I can hear cameras clicking already. Haymitch comes over and I'm about to tell him that I already know how to behave for the cameras after the amount of practice I've had when he cuts me off:  
"Save your breath, sweetheart, I know you know what to do. Just one thing- you and Peeta'll be reuniting outside for them. That calls for some actual reunion, ok?" He winks- actually _winks_- at me and strides back in the direction he came from.  
"What does he mean by that?" Octavia asks timidly, as if she doesn't really want to know.  
"He wants me to snog Peeta's face off again," I say bluntly before the double doors in front of us open and all hell breaks loose. Flashes of light blind me from every angle, camera shutters click wherever I turn, the sounds coming from the peoples' mouths are almost inhuman in pitch and it is all I can do to keep smiling and not push through them to the sanctuary of the train. Then I see Peeta a few metres from me, and it all fades away. He is striking in a dark red shirt and his hair is, for once, natural rather than slicked back. He grins and takes big strides to meet me in the middle where he embraces me, one hand on my lower back and the other comfortingly on my arm. My hands find their way to his face and the cameras somehow go even crazier. I realise that, with my hands like this, my ring is in plain view. The paparazzi love this pose so we hold it for a few moments more before I can wait no longer and gently tilt his lips down to meet mine. The clicks are insignificant; the screams aren't even there; the crowd has disappeared, and it is only Peeta and I. We are the last two people on Earth, and the best part is that I don't even mind. Nothing is left but Peeta and our... love? That seems to be the only word that covers the rush of emotions that is brought on by Peeta's presence. Love... A warmth washes over me as I stop fighting the word and instead embrace it, just as I embrace my fiancé, and suddenly I realise that I do actually want this. I want a marriage. I want children. I want what any woman with any sanity would want if they were in my shoes and that is Peeta's love, Peeta's devotion and ultimately just Peeta.  
And luckily, I have all three.


	3. Chapter Two

After the nightmare at the train station- for whatever reason, thankfully Gale was not there- we are escorted home by Effie's personal chauffeur. Peeta's family greets him at the door and they all wave to me as I enter my own home, where my mother is sat on the sofa staring anxiously at the television and Prim is pacing the room. Their heads turn when they hear the door open; Prim rushes over, squealing, and I pick her up in the tightest of hugs. My mom comes over and places her hand on my shoulder and kisses me on the cheek and leads me to sit down on the sofa with her. Prim doesn't let go but I sit anyway, asking my mother why she is so intent on watching television when I have only just gotten home. She replies, "They're due to announce the Quarter Quell arrangements soon." I nod wordlessly as Prim squirms a little in my lap. She's grown a lot while I've been away and she can't get comfortable anymore so she settles for sitting next to me instead, placing her head on my arm. Caesar Flickerman's theme plays from the screen's speakers and before I know it a barrage of images from mine and Peeta's Victory Tour is reeling across the screen. I hide my face, not wanting to relive the nightmare. My mother announces that it must soon be time for Snow to read the card, so I look up warily. My stomach clenches as the anthem plays and the president takes his place, closely followed by a boy in white holding a box. He produces some awful drabble about the necessity of the Games and continues on to remind us about the last two Quells:  
'"On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it."'  
I think about how utterly awful that must have felt- it was bad enough to have to go into the arena, but to go into the arena because your own townspeople had elected it so? Twice as bad.  
'"On the fiftieth anniversary," the president continues, "as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes."'  
That is even worse; a spread of forty seven instead of twenty three was almost certainly a death sentence, especially with double the amount of careers. I shudder slightly and Prim clutches my arm even tighter.  
'"And now we honor our third Quarter Quell," says the president. The little boy in white steps forward, holding out the box as he opens the lid. We can see the tidy, upright rows of yellowed envelopes. Whoever devised the Quarter Quell system had prepared for centuries of Hunger Games. The president removes an envelope clearly marked with a 75. He runs his finger under the flap and pulls out a small square of paper. Without hesitation, he reads,' "On the seventy fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels of the ever-changing nature of the laws made for their benefit, the arena will be of an ever-changing nature also." With that, Snow steps from the podium with the child hot on his heels and leaves us all wondering what on Earth his announcement meant as Caesar quickly wraps up. Prim turns to me with a confused expression playing across her face.  
"What do you think that meant?" She asks me.  
"I have no idea, and to be honest, I don't care much." I get up, yawning. It is the end of the day already and I feel so tired I may drop down. "It doesn't affect me, anyway."  
"Katniss," my mom says in her serious voice. I turn around to face her from my place at the bottom of the stairs. "It does affect you."  
"What? Why? How?" I ask, almost laughing. "It's not me in the arena, and Prim was drawn last year so she's almost guaranteed to not be pulled now. So why should I care?" Still, my mother looks at me in disbelief.  
"Don't you realise, Katniss?" She approaches me cautiously. "You're going to be the female mentor from now on."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

I sink onto the first step, my head finding my hands but my mouth finding no words. Prim gets up too; I see her coming through my fingers and pull myself up to practically gallop to my bedroom. The door hits the frame, my head hits the pillow and hands hit my bed in frustration. I am acting like a child but I don't care. In less than a month, I will be in charge of sending a young girl into an unknown arena from which she will almost surely not return and it will be my responsibility to prepare her, reassure her, look after her, get her sponsors. Watch her die. Comfort her family. I cry myself to sleep.  
I wake. I get up. I eat. I see Peeta. I reject his comfort. I eat again. I go back to sleep.  
I wake. I get up. I eat. I see Peeta. I reject his comfort. I eat again. I go back to sleep.  
I wake. I get up. I eat. I see Peeta. I reject his comfort. I eat again. I go back to sleep.  
I wake. I get up. I eat. I see Peeta. I reject his comfort. He calls Haymitch. I reject his too. I cry when they leave. I don't bother to eat again. I just go back to sleep, and before I know it, it is reaping day once more and I am completely unprepared. My prep team is downstairs, waiting for me, so I take the longest time in the shower I possibly can before finally going down to meet them. They manoeuvre my hair into a delicate updo and work me into a perfectly tailored red dress before commenting on how lovely I now look and telling me to light up the stage with my newly-created fire. Seeing Peeta outside, dressed in a suit with a red tie and a grim smile on his face, shocks me into realising how bad my situation really is; I have to get up on the stage, make a big speech (which I have not prepared at all), watch as some helpless child is reaped and nobody volunteers for her and act like I can help the poor girl as she is led off the stage, by me, to her impending death.  
"Ready?" Peeta asks. The intonation of the question tells me that he knows I am not.  
"Fuck you, Peeta. Of course not," I say begrudgingly. I hold my head high and start walking towards the main square, thinking I look dignified.  
"Umm, Katniss?" I whip around to face my fiancé, fire in my eyes. He winces as he says, "Your dress is... It's tucked into your tights." My eyes close in humiliation and I right myself before snapping my eyelids open again, turning on my heel and resuming walking, hearing Peeta chuckling behind me. It only fuels me on.

I take my place on the stage, trying to muster up a rousing speech from somewhere. Suddenly, Mayor Undersee is sitting back down and smiling at Peeta and I to get up and talk to the district. I manage to drag myself up to the microphone and hold Peeta's hand, despite the fact that he has only been annoying lately. He starts his speech; it is filled with emotional recounts of events in the arena that I smile grimly at. Perhaps it is not the best tactic to remind the terrified children of our horrifying time in there, but... strangely, the kids seem fiercer as they listen. Their expressions settle into those of fighters rather than submitters, wild dogs or lions- not feeble sheep anymore. A strong sense of pride settles in my heart as Peeta draws to a close.  
"Children of District Twelve, I have only one thing to add- we will not be forgotten! We can win, and we have done; never forget that. Keep it in your hearts and even if you are drawn, you will have as good a chance as any other tribute, thanks to your courage, your determination, and above all, your sense of hope and pride. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" I round off to raucous applause- the first there has been at a reaping in years- and we retake our seats. Peeta squeezes my hand and smiles and for the first time in weeks I relax into him. _I can do this,_ I think. _We can do this. _Effie's hand is reaching into the large bowl in front of the girls' side of the square. There is an intake of breath from every girl, every grown woman, as Effie holds the paper she picks up in the air before opening it with her usual flourish. I hold my own breath as she reads the name:  
"Zinnia Loquin!" She proclaims. A girl steps forward from the fourteen-year-olds, head held high. She is trying to look ready but the turmoil is there in her eyes. I recognise her distantly; she lived down the other end of my street in the Seam. I remember because her father was injured in the same mine incident that killed mine; he remains in a wheelchair and Zinnia has to care for him as her mother is busy trying to keep the family afloat with various odd jobs scattered across the district. She has no siblings to volunteer for her, and sure enough, there is silence when she is on the stage. I decide to go over and shake her hand- I'm not sure how I'm supposed to act, really, as there's never been a female mentor and the only other previous one was too drunk to be coherent. She has a firm grip (_a good sign, _I think) and I remain by her side as Effie crosses to the boy's side and draws another name there.  
"Briyo Awl!" A tall, dark-skinned man strides to the stage. There are no volunteers for him either, even though Effie hangs for longer than usual. Peeta is ready to greet him; he is dwarfed by the older man but still shakes his hand, and walks with him to the centre of the stage. I guide Zinnia to do the same and the two also shake hands before Effie concludes the horrid affair and we are all whisked off stage, us to the train and the two new tributes to the Justice Building.

**AN: This chapter took me ages to write. I had such bad writer's block! I decided to experiment with repetition a bit, so could you guys let me know if it worked or if it was just annoying to read in the reviews? Thank you! :)**


	4. Chapter Three

We sit on the train in silence, afraid to say anything for fear of bursting into hysteria. I stare at my mockingjay pin gleaming on the front of my dress, thinking of its symbolism of strength and how we must be strong too, for the tributes' sakes; if we break down, being the only people who can help them, what on earth will they do? They'd never put any faith in us and that would be essential if they were to have any hope. Ten minutes pass. Twenty. Thirty. Thirty-six go by before the door to the carriage finally opens and we hear the usual chattering of Effie. I stand up from the plush sofa and cross to the door where I see a still-strong man and a now-teary girl hovering by the train, not wanting to enter it. The girl looks utterly terrified. I'm not sure of what to do- I feel I should comfort her, but how? I can't tell her that everything will be ok, because the odds are it won't be, and she knows that. I don't know her well enough to hug her, and even if I did I probably wouldn't. I settle for holding my hand out to her to help her onto the carriage. She hesitates, but takes my hand and allows me to pull her on. She doesn't seem to want to let go, and I allow her the small comfort of clinging to me as the boy, an over-eager Effie and a, for once, not-staggering Haymitch follow her onto the train and carry on through to where Peeta has stood up and is waiting to greet them. I see him shake the boy's hand and introduce himself, and I decide to do the same with the girl, who still has her hands wrapped around my lower arm.  
"Hey," I say as gently as possible. "I'm Katniss. I used to live right down the street from you, you remember?" I think I see her nod, but I can't be sure- the movement is that small. "I'm gonna be your mentor now." She looks up at me with the brown eyes that were always unusual for a Seam girl, their colour as smooth as the Capitol's melted chocolate. "We'll get through this, ok?" She nods, a more definite movement this time, and her grip loosens a bit. "Now, why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?" A strange, almost maternal instinct has awoken in me at the sight of the tiny girl in front of me and I want nothing more than to take her far far away from the Capitol, the Games, the arena... But alas, the train has started to move, and the slight jolt as it starts up makes the girl re-tighten her grip. A few moments pass, so I nudge her a little to encourage her to talk and she jumps as if I have just brought her back to earth from some daydream.  
"Zinnia. My name is Zinnia. Everyone calls me Zi though." She has the sweetest, childlike voice. "I'm fourteen, fifteen in November." This surprises me, big time; she seems much, much younger- in fact, she reminds me of Prim at about nine.  
"Ok. Nice to meet you properly, Zi. I'm just sorry about how it came around." Her head drops a little and I quickly change the subject, fearing she might cry. "Shall we go and sit with the others?" She looks up and smiles a watery grin. I take a deep breath. "I know you want the comfort right now, but it's best to look strong in front of everyone else, so it'll be a lot better if you aren't holding my hand when we go in." She instantly drops my wrist and wipes her eyes, putting on the fierce expression that she wore as she walked to the stage at the reaping. A burst of pride goes through me, cut short by Zi piping up again:  
"Sounds good. I'll lead in, shall I?" She sounds almost pompous as she smoothly opens the sliding door and steps through. _That acting skill will come in handy once she's in the arena, _I think. _She could fool anyone into anything!_ I follow to see her shaking Peeta's hand before sitting with the others, next to Effie. I take a seat next to her, opposite Haymitch, who is deeply involved in a conversation with Peeta. The intimidatingly large boy is looking out of the window, watching the scenery fly by. Not a minute has passed before Effie starts to talk to me about the tributes' initial arrival and opening ceremony, and I have to act interested; while it's scary to think about it, I kind of need to think about it otherwise it'll be just like the speech at the reaping: improvised and more than a little crappy. As the conversation goes on, Zinnia starts to add in her ideas too and before long she's made a wonderful impression on Effie. We are discussing reusing the teamwork approach when an avox enters with a bell, which he rings twice.  
"Ooh, lunch!" Effie exclaims before tottering after the avox. Peeta and I share a glance and suppress a laugh as we get up and walk after her. He takes my hand and Zi sighs behind us. I turn to see her gazing at my ring, just as Effie did all those weeks ago, and smile at the thought of our wedding. That, at least, is one thing I can look forward to after all of this madness.  
After lunch-where Zi and the boy, who reintroduces himself as Briyo, eat in a perfectly civilised manner, much to Effie's surprise- there is only a short wait until we are led into the end carriage to rewatch the reapings. This is perhaps the bit I hated the most about my own train ride to the Capitol. Having to watch other children with the same utter terror displayed on their faces as had been running through my mind for hours was the last thing I wanted to do. I half expected Zi to ask to miss it, but she seemed to want to go. Maybe she wanted to see who she was up against now that she felt a little more confident. We all sit down on the curved sofa, Peeta and I on one end, Effie and Haymitch on the other, with the new tributes in the middle and directly in front of the screen. The television is turned on and changed to the correct channel by an ever-watching avox and Caesar's theme belts from the speakers on either side of the screen. His face appears shortly, next to that of Claudius Templesmith. They introduce themselves and begin to speculate about what this Quarter Quell's twist could be. The talk is mundane and I detach my mockingjay pin from the front of my dress and begin to twirl it in my fingers, undoing and redoing the clasp, until something Claudius says catches my attention:  
"And on the subject of victors, what of our victors from last year's Games?"  
"Yes, what indeed? Well, I can tell you that we have an exclusive on that matter!" He pauses and his grin widens. "I've been told that, by request of one Coriolanus Snow himself, the star-crossed lovers of District 12 will be wed right here in the Capitol!" I drop the pin and my head snaps up to the screen. "Yes, the exciting event will be held on August the 31st- just a day before the Third Quarter Quell begins!" They descend into meaningless babble that somehow intertwines dresses and death and the next thing I know I'm storming out of the carriage.

**AN: Katniss really isn't happy... Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying it, let me know what you thought by reviewing :)**


	5. Chapter Four

"Katniss! Katniss, wait! This is just the thing you need!" Effie's irritating voice causes me to stop and face her.  
"Just the thing I need? How the hell is getting married a day before the Games just the thing I need?" I practically spit the words and Effie speaks with pity.  
"This will raise District 12's profile enormously! Do you have any idea of the sponsors this will bring out? Everyone will want to help the newlyweds to win," she says softly. I can't help but consider the advantages that the wedding could bring to Zinnia. While I am pondering the pros and cons of the situation, Effie speaks again. "In any case, dear, you can't change it. President Snow himself has made the arrangements and you can't argue with him." Effie has a point. While she is talking about the power he holds over us, I am thinking of him almost killing Peeta and me both, which she knows nothing of. It would not do to anger Snow again; the death sentence that was lifted could easily be brought back down and he'd get rid of us for good if we caused any more trouble. I sigh and my shoulders slump, resigned to the fact that I will be wed in a matter of weeks in a place far from my home, probably without my family and few friends and definitely without a toasting. I show my anger in the only way I can, however petty, and I don't watch the reapings back. I go and sit on my own in the next carriage with a jug of water and some complimentary biscuits, munching away at one even though I am full until the others re-enter to inform me that the spread of ages is, as always, varied and that there is a set of twins that look extremely threatening.  
"One girl, she's related to a past victor," Haymitch says, slurring slightly. It looks like he's back on the alcohol. "Another Odair in the firing line," he says before sitting in a seat at the opposite end of the carriage to the rest of us and muttering to himself: "Why am I even here? There's already a guy for a mentor, and a better one than me..." He trails off. Peeta shakes his head slowly next to me and puts his elbow on the armrest, rubbing his forehead. He looks up at me and whispers,  
"Is he right?" I don't even have to think about it.  
"Of course," I whisper back. "It's not hard, is it?" He smiles. I rest my head on his arm and his head falls on top of mine in an endearing sign of exhaustion. Before long we are both asleep, taken away from the horror of the circumstances by each other's presence, just as we were in the cave in the arena.  
We are woken after what seems like only seconds by the burst of bright light as we emerge from the final tunnel that means we have arrived at the Capitol. Zinnia immediately clambers to get to the window and wave to the crowds, just as Effie and I told her to do; we want her to look confident and independent so that she can have a chance of joining the career pack. Briyo joins her, but instead of waving he glares like everyone out there is weak and stupid (which, to be honest, they probably are). He reminds me so much of Thresh from last year that I have to look away before the memories can return.  
"That's quite enough of that!" Effie says to him, a little timid in his menacing presence. He turns the look on her and she laughs nervously and backs away slightly. Peeta and I laugh at her and stand from our seats, stretching ourselves out.  
"C'mon, you two," Peeta says. "All off. You're gonna meet that lot in a minute and believe me, you won't want to wave then!"  
"He's right," I add. "Just keep your heads down and ignore them as best you can. Keep walking until we're in the Remake Centre." Effie tuts impatiently and we go over to the door where she is now standing, attempting to open it. Peeta pushes a button for her and she sighs dramatically.  
"Sorry, I must have forgotten to deactivate the safety lock!" With that pointless and obvious explanation, she leads the way off the train with Zi and Briyo following swiftly behind her, anxious to get out of the teeming crowd. Peeta threads his fingers through mine before we leave- we both need the comfort and normality, plus the press will appreciate it- and Haymitch is the last one out of the carriage, threatening to beat away the members of the mob who try to follow us with their cameras and notebooks. The doors to the Remake Centre close behind us. Zi and Briyo are whisked away by people with brightly coloured hair and outlandish clothing and we are told to wait for them with the other mentors on the top floor.  
"Other mentors... I didn't even think about that." I can't help but grimace slightly at the thought of having to meet them; they have every reason to hate us both, me especially, because we both got out of the Games alive while they all had to lose their district partners and I was the one who came up with the idea.  
"It'll be fine," Peeta says, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. We walk into the lift like that, cuddled close together, and as soon as the doors close and we are alone he turns his face down towards mine and pulls me closer into him. Our lips collide, and he snakes his other arm around my waist to join the other. I stand there for a second, not taking in what's happening; Peeta has never kissed me with passion like this. My shock comes through tenfold when his tongue lingers against my bottom lip, coaxing me to open for him. The kiss sends shivers running up and down my spine and my lips part. We are kissing like there is no tomorrow. Wave after wave of pleasure reverberate through me as he runs his hands over my body, and something stirs in me that, a month ago, I had none of for him- desire. Masses of desire. He pulls away first, panting heavily, and a small smile forms on my now slightly-swollen lips and I pull him back in for more. My knees are weak, my heartbeat is impossibly fast, my head is spinning and all of my senses are going crazy when-  
"Ahem." I hear someone clear their throat very loudly and very falsely. My head snaps to the side where I see not the closed metal doors that I was expecting, but twenty two more-than-slightly-annoyed faces staring back at me.  
Oops.

**AN: I don't even know what to write here after that... Oops indeed. Tell me what you thought by reviewing! :)**


	6. Chapter Five

I immediately break free from Peeta's grasp and he lets out a nervous laugh, running his hand through his hair.  
"Hi guys," he says. "Sorry about- yeah." He smiles awkwardly, obviously hoping that the other mentors might understand, but no sympathy appears on their faces. I realise that this won't be getting any easier before Peeta does, so I take his hand and walk out of the lift as casually as I can be with my face as red as a tomato. The layout of the room is simple- twelve separate sofas with labels floating in midair above them, declaring which district's mentors it belongs to, are spread across tthe floor. All of them face a giant screen in the corner of the room which currently displays the Capitol logo. We make our way to our seat; the stares gradually ebb away and I feel my heartbeat and cheeks return to normal as we take our place. I can't help but relax into Peeta once we are sat down- it's an instinct now, to burrow into him, just as it used to be to burrow into my mother as a girl. This simple movement earns us a tut from the District 11 mentors, who shoot us a look of disgust before training their gazes on the screen, which has brightened noticeably. The lights dim and the screen grows so bright it turns white before fading into an image of a younger President Snow's face. A small shiver goes down my spine at the sight and Peeta gives me a reassuring squeeze.  
"It's over now," he soothes in a whisper. We turn our attention back to the screen.  
"Welcome, mentors old and new," Snow says with a false smile. "I hope your journeys were pleasant." He pauses. "There may be a new face amongst you. If so, congratulations to the latest victor in our midst. As for all of us here, the odds were evidently in your favour. Well done." A murmur goes around the room and I hear my name uttered more than once. "To those who watch this for another year, welcome back to the Capitol. As always, please pay close attention." The image cuts jerkily to a different image of Snow, one that was obviously filmed much more recently. Even the Capitol's procedures cannot erase all traces of time, and in Snow's case they have just made it more obvious. He still has the same faked grin on his face. It seems so... patronising. "This year's games are special, very special indeed, for the lucky tributes in this year's selection are able to compete in Panem's Third Quarter Quell. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you any more than I could tell the rest of the country- that the arena will be extraordinarily different- but I can tell you this: now more than ever, your tributes will need their sponsorship." A montage of all the previous victors rolls across the display, from the very first blonde woman raising her sword in victory all the way through to Peeta and I, holding each other and squinting against the wind of the hovercraft. Snow carries on with a voiceover. "As with all of these past victors you see now, your tributes will need a delicate balance of hope, determination, skill, and of course, luck. You will play a crucial part in securing this for them, along with gifts that could be vital to their survival." The footage of me receiving the burn medicine plays and it hits me just how big a part I have to play in Zinnia's future. Without me, she has very little chance at one. I make a vow to myself to dedicate every minute of my time to her while she's in the Games- to give her extra training if I can, to secure her every sponsor I can get, to keep her alive at all costs. I start to make a plan of attack and it takes up the remainder of Snow's speech, which has now turned to the usual Capitol propaganda. "Just remember, this mentoring is a privilege- not a necessity," he says threateningly. Every single person in the room scoffs at how ridiculous it is that people might actually want to do this, to be responsible for a child's wellbeing in the most dangerous time of their life. "So with that in your heads, and hope in your hearts, I wish you happy Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favour!" Snow smiles wryly as the screen fades to black and the lights come back on.  
"Well, thank God that's over!" The man from District 4's area is standing now and stretching himself out. Several others follow suit and break into chatter as he continues, "If I had to sit through another minute of that I might've actually killed myself. Speaking of suicide-" He looks around before setting his gaze on Peeta and I and walking towards us. "-hey there! Welcome to hell," he says with a grin. "Well done with the berries," he tells me before bending down and kissing my hand. "That won't be forgotten in a hurry!"  
"No. No it won't." I force a smile. The man turns to Peeta and shakes his hand.  
"Well done snagging that one," he whispers theatrically. He wolf whistles, turning many heads, and I feel my face flush. "I look forward to the wedding! I'd better get an invite!" He goes to walk away.  
"Um, how are we supposed to invite you if we don't have the faintest clue who you are?" Peeta asks, laughing.  
"Oh, crud!" The man exclaims. "And there was me trying to be all mysterious." He winks. "The name's Finnick, Finnick Odair. Nice to meet you." He nods once and returns to the District 4 sofa where he falls into deep conversation with the elderly woman sat there.  
"Guess he's another one for the guest list," Peeta chuckles as he takes my hand. I smile and kiss his cheek. "C'mon, let's go meet people." He starts to lead me towards the District 1 section.  
"Meet people? Ugh, socialising," I say, smiling up at him. He keeps the returned grin on his face for long enough to introduce us to the first of the Career mentors- Cashmere and Gloss. While Cashmere is arrogant and obviously thinks it below her to talk to us, Gloss seems like a big softy underneath the harsh exterior he presents. I wonder if that tough image is at his sister's requirement.  
"We might have a chance of an alliance if we go through him," I whisper to Peeta as we make our way towards District 2's mentors. Brutus and Enobaria are both horrible, and we don't spend long at their station before they leave like we're a bad smell they want to avoid. We move on to District 3.  
"Well, with everyone calling her Nuts, it's not surprising that she's a little, well..." Peeta trails off, too kind to speak badly of anyone, even Wiress.  
"Insane?" I offer, thinking of how Beetee had to finish all of her sentences.  
"Yeah." Peeta says no more, just carries on walking. We skip District 4 (talking to Finnick once was more than enough!) and go straight to 5. The man there wasn't even awake, having passed out on some form of whiskey, and the woman was so out of it that she couldn't even introduce herself. We stand there awkwardly for a few minutes before the female mentor from District 6 pulls us away to show us what she's done with the complimentary fruit. After "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing at the smush on the table while the two grown victors clap and beam at us, we say our goodbyes and go to speak to District 7.  
"So," Johanna Mason says while looking us up and down. "You're the new victors. Congratulations." The sarcasm in her voice is evident. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it here nearly as much as the rest of us; watching children die is such fun, isn't it?" She shakes her head and carries on talking with her district partner, Blight.  
"I can see you two getting along," Peeta says as we walk to 8's seats. I scoff, in a bad mood from how awful we're being made to feel for being here. District 8 is... a unique experience. I am immediately pulled into a hug by the woman, who introduces herself as Cecilia. The man is fascinated by Peeta's baking and Cecilia is very motherly towards me. She asks me how I am, how I've been sleeping, how I've been eating, who I've met so far, whether I liked them, if I miss home... The list goes on. Weirdly, her questions don't irritate me. They calm me down and I am very reluctant to move on, but move on we must and we go to see the burly victors from 9. They barely say a word the whole time we are with them, replying to our questions with yes or no before asking if we're there for any particular reason. I leave with my bad mood fully reinstated and the pair from 10 do nothing to change it. It is a relief to arrive at District 11's station; it brings with it slight familiarity- Chaff is an old friend of Haymitch's- and relief that the ordeal of meeting the others is finally nearly over. We haven't been talking for long when the lights flash, signalling that the tributes are almost ready and that we need to make our way to the back lobby before they set off for the opening ceremony. I squeeze Peeta's hand. This is the first time that our tributes will be seen by potential sponsors, and we have no idea what they look like. All I can do is pray that their stylists have done good jobs as we enter one of the four lifts taking us down to find out.

**AN: Thank you so much for reading, sorry it took me so long to update! Pretty please leave me a review? *bats eyelashes* **


	7. Chapter Six

**AN: SHOOT! I was doing Camp NaNoWriMo all through August so I couldn't update (my novel crashed and burned, haha) but I forgot to post a notice on this fic and I'M SORRY GUYS! Here's a nice fluffy chapter for you to hopefully enjoy to make up for my terribleness 3**

"Going for the diamond approach this year?" Peeta asks Cinna. Briyo looks amazing in black trousers and a silver shirt with shining silvery jewels in an intricate pattern scattered across it, but it is Zinnia that steals the show in a silver catsuit with the same detailed pattern of gems all over her body.  
"Yeah, I thought it'd make District 12 memorable without re-using your fire," Cinna says with a pointed look at the other tributes. They've all chosen to steal his idea in some way- from the reds and oranges used by the Careers to the burning logs of District 7, they all have some aspect of fire in their outfits. Peeta laughs at the stupidity of it all.  
"But as amazing as they look, coal doesn't even make diamonds," I interject, having to make sure that he knows the truth. Peeta evidently didn't as he looks at me with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.  
"Now, I know that, and you know that, but the fools out there don't. This will make you seem... precious. Like a light in the darkness- literally." Cinna grins as he starts to turn away from us.  
"Literally?" I raise an eyebrow.  
"Literally. You'll see in a minute," he replies knowingly before returning to Portia's side. I wonder what Cinna has done for our district this time before turning to Zinnia. She looks so nervous, she could vomit. I remember my own terror in her position and put my arm around her. I want to speak, but I know that nothing I say will reassure her fully. I settle with, "You look stunning. Don't worry, Cinna knows what he's doing. At least you aren't on fire!" She gives me a small smile but she still frowns with worry. I see movement from the corner of my eye and tear my gaze away from Zi to see that the first of the district's carriages have started to move already.  
"Oh God," Zinnia mumbles as her eyes follow mine.  
"It's ok, honest. Now quickly, onto the chariot," I say as I try to help her up. Briyo, already there, takes Zi's hand and hoists her in by his side. We both smile gratefully and he nods in reply.  
"Remember- look strong!" Peeta urges. "Use the crowds in your favour; act like they're lucky to have you in their presence." The two tributes nod grimly as the chariot lurches into action and they are pulled forwards. As soon as they are out of sight, all of the mentors and prep teams are shown to their luxury boxes lining the tops of the two sides of the long path down which the chariots ride. It is all coordinated so that we arrive as our district's tributes can first be seen by the Capitol citizens, and when we reach our box the cheers are deafening. I gasp when I see them. The diamonds on their outfits glint and gleam, reflecting every single one of the many lights they pass- those held by members of the raucous audience, those flooding the causeway from above, even those on the outfits of other districts in front of them. They are literally dazzling.  
"Wow," Peeta says over the racket. "It's almost impossible to look at them!" I laugh.  
"Hopefully that won't put people off!" We join the crowds in cheering like maniacs for our shining tributes. They are pulling off the superior look perfectly, keeping their heads high and their expressions showing just a hint of pleasure and a whole lot of pride. We scream for them until they disappear at the other end of the long pathway; our throats are raw by the time we stop and fall into silence, occasionally punctured by relieved laughter at how smoothly everything went tonight. We hold each other loosely even as we are seen to our "home". I guess it is our home for the next few weeks. It is the weirdest sensation to walk into our lodgings; everything from the couch to the table decorations are exactly the same as they were last year, but they are all different colours to what they were. Where the colour scheme used to be soothing greens and browns, it is now vicious fuchsia and black. Peeta mocks shielding his eyes from the bright sofa cushions, making me laugh and shake my head in- not disbelief, as the bright colours are completely normal for the Capitol, more amusement at the stark change.  
"It's kinda disorienting," I remark. "It just doesn't seem... right."  
"When does anything seem right here?" His tone makes me look up at him; I see a terrible sadness in his eyes that is quickly replaced with a steely mask. "Come on, let's get to bed."  
"Shouldn't we wait up? Zi and Briyo-"  
"Are already in their beds, hopefully sleeping. It's the first day of training tomorrow and we'll all need to have our wits about us." He kisses the top of my head, sounding a lot gentler when he says, "You look exhausted, sweetheart."  
"Thanks a lot!" I push him playfully but don't have the strength to affect him at all. He just laughs softly and leads me to our rooms, both of which contain even bigger beds than the tribute rooms that seem twice as soft. I change into the nightclothes provided for me and sit on my bed, ready to drop. I see Peeta's bare feet padding onto the plush carpet of my room- our room- and then feel his weight shift the bed beside me. His lips brush mine.  
"Is this ok? Or would you rather I stayed in my own room?" He smiles kindly.  
"Peeta, of course it's ok. We're together, I'm not ashamed of that." He brushes his lips against mine as we lay down together and he pulls me into his arms.  
"I love you," he murmurs. _I love you too, _I want to respond, but I can't do it. Not yet. Instead I nuzzle my head closer into his chest and manoeuvre so that we can pull the duvet over ourselves. We're asleep within moments.


End file.
